Let The Lake Run Red
by CrowfeatherLover
Summary: Hazelpaw must save her Clan from certain death. But being halfClan, how can she do that when she feels like no one ever trusts her?
1. Allegiances

Summary--

Deep in the forests surrounding a lake, there lies four Clans of Warrior cats: ThunderClan, ShadowClan, RiverClan, and WindClan. Most of the cats know the stories, or how they got there, and how it was in the old forest. But it has been many years since the time of the Great Journey, and Firestar's name rests in elder's tales now.

This is a story about a young and beautiful she-cat named Hazelpaw. Ever since she was born she has been tormented and teased by her Clanmates because she is Half-Clan. Her mother is Greengaze, a kind ThunderClan queen, and her father is Darkstar, the leader of ShadowClan. During her life, she will fall in love, make new friends, and try to stop one of the worst evils the lake has ever known. Because if she and her best friends Willowpaw and Finchpaw don't do anything to stop the traitors rising up, they better watch out, because they might just let the lake run red.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Warriors series. It belongs to one of the best authors ever, Erin Hunter.

Well, I know I'm not good at summaries or titles, but I hope you like this book. It'll be great, I just know it!

* * *

**A L L E G I A N C E S**

**ThunderClan**

**Leader**

Heatherstar--Pretty light brown tabby she-cat with green eyes

**Deputy**

Adderflight--Swift black tom with amber eyes

Apprentice: Finchpaw

**Medicine Cat**

Nightflower--Small black she-cat with blue eyes

**Warriors**

Brackenclaw--Golden brown tabby tom with green eyes

Tawnytail--Dark ginger she-cat with a tawny-colored tip on her tail and yellow eyes

Goldenwhisker--Pretty golden tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Apprentice: Willowpaw

Dustfur--Big light brown tabby tom with golden eyes

Jayheart--Small gray tabby tom with ice blue eyes

Apprentice: Spottedpaw

Jaggedclaw--Massive black tom with green eyes and long, hooked claws

Apprentice: Redpaw

Snakespirit--Sleek dark gray tom with amber eyes

Frostflame--Beautiful white she-cat with one green eye and one blue eye

Apprentice: Hazelpaw

Berryfrost--Small light ginger she-cat with green eyes

Lionpelt--Huge golden brown tabby tom with amber eyes

**Queens**

Greengaze--Pretty tortishell she-cat with striking green eyes

Emberstripe--Gray tabby she-cat with dark black stripes and blue eyes

Mossheart--Kind-hearted white she-cat with blue eyes

Daisypelt--Pretty calico she-cat with a white chest and paws and amber eyes

**Apprentices**

Hazelpaw--Beautiful tortishell she-cat with white chest and paws and blue eyes

Finchpaw--Mischevious golden brown tabby tom with blue eyes

Redpaw--Large dark ginger tom with golden eyes

Willowpaw--Pretty light brown tabby she-cat with green eyes

Spottedpaw--Small calico she-cat with blue eyes

**Elders**

Smalltooth--Kind black tom with almost no teeth

Desertstripe--Dusty brown she-cat, the oldest cat in ThunderClan

**Kits**

Graykit--Big gray tom

Silverkit--Sleek silver tabby she-cat

Thornkit--Golden-brown mottled tom

**RiverClan**

Leader: Reedstar--Sleek black tom with blue eyes

Deputy: Lilyfrost--Sleek black she-cat with green eyes

Medicine Cat: Violetheart--Small, always nervous dusky brown she-cat with blue eyes

**Important Cats**

Voleheart--Sleek, light brown tom with amber eyes

Icespirit--Massive white tom with green eyes

Troutfoot--Massive silver tabby tom with yellow eyes

Beechpaw--Small gray tom with blue eyes

**WindClan**

Leader: Flamestar--Swift ginger she-cat with amber eyes

Deputy: Wolfstripe--Small dark brown tom with yellow eyes

Medicine Cat: Sunfeather--Golden brown tom with blue eyes

**Important Cats**

Ashheart--Massive gray tom with blue eyes

Tigerlily--Small, mottled brown she-cat with green eyes

Snowpaw--Black she-cat with white chest and paws and blue eyes

**ShadowClan**

Leader: Darkstar--Massive dark brown tabby tom with icy green eyes

Deputy: Leopardpelt--Golden she-cat with a magnificent spotted pelt and blue eyes

Medicine Cat: Mottledheart--Small gray she-cat with a dappled coat and blue eyes

**Important Cats**

Sootwhisker--Large black tom with yellow eyes

Flamespirit--Ginger she-cat with amber eyes

Foxpaw--Large ginger tom with green eyes

Amberpaw--Dark brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes

**Cats Outside Of Clans**

**Desert Tribe**

**Leader**

Duststorm--Handsome dusty brown tabby tom with yellow eyes

**Beta**

Rusty--Dark ginger tom with amber eyes

**Healer**

Silver--Small sleek silver tabby she-cat with green eyes

**Trainer**

Holly--Smart light brown tabby she-cat with green eyes

**Fighters**

Smokey--Handsome sleek dark gray tom with green eyes

Robin--Big dark ginger tom with green eyes

Training-Eagle

Rose--Sleek black she-cat with amber eyes

Training-Poppy

Tornado--Huge burly dark gray tom with yellow eyes

Training-Tiger

Blizzard--Big white tom with blue eyes

Training-Moss

**Hunters**

Flower--Pretty white she-cat with yellow eyes

Jewel--Beautiful silver tabby she-cat with a dappled coat

Beau--Small black tom with ice blue eyes

Falcon--Swift silver tom with green eyes

Heather--Skinny brown tabby she-cat with green eyes

**Queens**

Bella--Pretty silver she-cat with blue eyes

Jewel--Beautiful silver tabby she-cat with a dappled coat

**Trainings**

Moss--Pretty brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes

Eagle--Swift white tom with yellow eyes

Tiger--Dark brown tabby tom with orange eyes

Poppy--Sleek dusky brown she-cat with beautiful blue eyes


	2. Chapter 1

**Well, time to start the story! Remember, kind reviews will make me happy and sticks and stones may break my bones but critics will never hurt me. HA! So just read on and have fun with it! **

**PS-Sorry it's a bit short, I promise the next chapter will be longer.**

* * *

Hazelpaw sat quietly next to an oak tree, her eyes wide with wonder. Her beautiful tortoiseshell coat glowed in the moonlight, and her blue eyes seemed illuminated.

"Where in StarClan's name am I?" she murmured, twitching her tail in fascination. This wasn't ThunderClan hunting grounds, that was for sure. Hazelpaw's expression grew from one of wonder to one of frustration in a split second. She got to her paws and paced back and forth in agitation. Was she asleep? Dreaming? Or was she dead? Hazelpaw's fur bristled at the thought. No, she couldn't be dead. Who would be mouse-brained enough to get up and feed her deathberries in the dead of the night?

Suddenly, as if out of nowhere, another cat, her fur positively glowing, strolled over to her. She was beautiful! Her amber eyes seemed to twinkle in the starlight with a glow of amusement, and her brown tabby fur was neatly groomed to a shine. Hazelpaw immediately jumped to the conclusion that this was a StarClan warrior. And she was right.

"Welcome to StarClan hunting grounds, Hazelpaw," the she-cat whispered. Her voice seemed to echoe around the clearing, and yet Hazelpaw was sure that she alone could hear it. A look of alarm crept onto the ThunderClan apprentice's face. Was she dead? "You aren't dead, if that's what you're thinking," the she-cat purred. "My name is Leafpool, and I have a message for you."

Hazelpaw just barely stopped herself from jumping back in surprise. "Me! But I'm just a-" "An apprentice, I know..." Leafpool sighed. "But you are no ordinary apprentice. You need to get up and start training! Adderflight is already annoyed enough as it is!" Hazelpaw shrunk back in fear. Leafpool's voice had changed suddenly, to one more high-pitched. A tom's voice...then she felt herself being shook, and tussled, and tossed around...

"Wake up, Hazelpaw!"

Finchpaw's loud meow finally aroused Hazelpaw from her sleep. She lifted her head and blinked in the greenleaf sunrise. "Honestly, Hazelpaw, you love to moan in your sleep," Finchpaw groaned. "I bet you could wake up the RiverClan warriors across the lake!" Hazelpaw couldn't resist a grin. Her golden tabby friend was always blowing things out of proportion, and he was quite the character. Another cat, a pretty light brown she-cat, stepped into the den, her blue eyes full of concern.

"I thought I heard yowling in here," she mewed in her smart, matter-of-fact voice. Finchpaw didn't seem to want to take his eyes off her. "Hello Willowpaw," he grunted. "You look...err...stunning, today." Willowpaw and Hazelpaw exchanged an amused glance, and as Willowpaw turned to leave, Hazelpaw finally got up and followed her out. Finchpaw followed after a few moments.

All the cats were starting to get up and start leaving on patrols. Adderflight, the deputy was barking orders at every cat that passed by him, and Hazelpaw wasn't surprised when he started to yowl at Snakespirit about not going on that hunting patrol he was supposed to go on. The three apprentices managed to catch the tail end of the arguement. "...and your punishment for not following orders is to assess the three younger apprentices today." Adderflight ended his case with an edge to his voice. Snakespirit opened his mouth as if to protest, but even he wasn't mouse-brained enough to ignore his deputy. The dark gray tom started to pad towards the apprentices, his eyes glowing with anger.

"Oh, look, I get to assess the half-Clan carrion today," he snarled. Hazelpaw shot him a furious glance, and she saw Willowpaw and Finchpaw both bite back angry retorts. As they followed Snakespirit out of the camp, Willowpaw turned to Hazelpaw. "It's Ok, I think Snakespirit might've rolled on a thorn while he was sleeping last night," she whispered into Hazelpaw's ear. "What a load of fox-dung this is! I thought Adderflight was going to assess us!" Finchpaw hissed irritably. "Apparantly Adderflight's too busy looking after Emberstripe's newborn kits to care about our assessment," Hazelpaw said in an undertone. Willowpaw practically skipped with delight at her words, and Finchpaw and Hazelpaw stared at her like she had three heads. Then Hazelpaw remembered that Emberstripe was Willowpaw's mother, and the kits were her siblings.

They finally arrived near the Ancient Oak, where Snakespirit ran towards a low tree brach, leaped on top of it, and sat down. "OK, go hunt as best as you can," he growled, not wanting to make much conversation. "Meet me back here with all your prey by sunset." Finchpaw was the first to go; almost falling over in his excitement. He sprinted into the forest, leaving Willowpaw and Hazelpaw alone. "Well, I guess we better split up now," Willowpaw meowed softly. Hazelpaw nodded, and as they walked into the forest, Willowpaw went left, leaving Hazelpaw to go right.

The trees were lush green, and they provided much shade from the coming heat. Hazelpaw sent a silent thanks to StarClan she wasn't in WindClan, with hardly any cover and lots of sun. A few moments later, she smelled a plump, juicy water vole. Hazelpaw licked her lips delightfully, getting into the hunting crouch, and beginning to slink towards the vole. _Steady, Hazelpaw,_ her brain seemed to say. _Easy, easy..._Suddenly, she heard a twig break. She was half a fox-length away from the vole as she saw it stick it's head up, and run into the forest.

Hazelpaw had no time to throw a curse into the silent air and sprinted after the vole, keeping good pace. She could still see it, it was there. Hazelpaw trusted herself and leaped towards the vole, claws unsheathed. To her surprise-and delight-she grasped the vole in her paws and gave it a swift bite to the neck. Hazelpaw stood there in triumph, the dead vole laying at her paws, and she quickly picked it up and buried it. She then stalked off into the forest again, for she was sure there was loads more fresh-kill to catch...

As the three apprentices walked back to camp, prey in their jaws, they each seemed pleased that they had caught so much fresh-kill in their first assessment. "D'ya think Heatherstar'll be happy?" Finchpaw mumbled through the chaffinch in his mouth. Hazelpaw purred with amusement. "She won't be happy, she'll be thrilled," Willowpaw mewed excitedly. Even Snakespirit seemed pleased with the apprentices' achievements. But Hazelpaw only thought he was happy that he would get to eat extra that night. Hazelpaw purred again, this time with joy. She had good friends, a good life, and a good mentor. She forgot most of the time she was half-Clan. But happiness didn't last.

Jaggedclaw was guarding the entrance to the camp today. Jaggedclaw had never been one of Hazelpaw's favorite cats, in fact she hated him. When the four cats padded closer he smirked. "Look how much the piece of half-Clan fox-dung caught today, Jaggedclaw!" Snakespirit jeered loud enough so only the five of them could hear. "Amazing," Jaggedclaw purred. "You do quite well with that wicked ShadowClan blood running through your veins, Hazelpaw." Finchpaw looked as if he were about to claw the senior warrior's eyes out, and even kindly Willowpaw shot Jaggedclaw a killing look. Hazelpaw just had to speak up. "My father is a noble leader," she mewed boldly. Jaggedclaw looked taken aback, Hazelpaw didn't think he ever got talked back to by an apprentice.

Finally, he spoke. "Your father is a tyrant!" Jaggedclaw spat. To make matters worse, his apprentice Redpaw had come to sit beside his mentor and throw mocking glances at Hazelpaw. Willowpaw shot Hazelpaw a glance that said, _let's get out of here, _and that's exactly what the three apprentices did. As they entered camp, the eldest kit, Thornkit, shot them an admiring glance. "Wow, look how much fresh-kill the apprentices caught!" he squeaked in delight. Hazelpaw raised her head proudly, and dropped her fresh-kill into a pile. Their leader, Heatherstar, had walked up to the three young cats, her green eyes glowing with satisfaction.

"Well done you three," she meowed. Her voice had no edge to it today, just as smooth as honey. "I think you guys deserve to go to the gathering tomorrow night." Finchpaw looked like he wanted to leap in the air with delight, and Hazelpaw felt the same way. Her first Gathering! She would finally get to associate with the boldest and bravest warriors in the forest, including her...father! As their leader walked away to share a quick word with Adderflight, all three apprentices were pratically shaking with excitement.

"I can't believe we get to go to the Gathering!" Hazelpaw squealed, not caring if she sounded like a kit. Finchpaw grinned, nodding. "I can't either," Willowpaw meowed. She was the most subdued of the three of them, but even her fur was bristling with excitement. Finchpaw pressed his muzzle against Willowpaw's shoulder, and the tabby she-cat couldn't help purring in amusement. Hazelpaw rolled her eyes. It was obvious her friends were falling in love, but out of the corner of her eyes she saw Spottedpaw staring at the two with jealousy and anger in her gaze. So Finchpaw had two she-cats padding after him, huh? Hazelpaw couldn't blame them. Finchpaw was handsome, strong and brave, and always getting into trouble. But Hazelpaw had this feeling that Finchpaw might not be the tom she should love. She had a feeling this tom lay elsewhere, far away...

Hazelpaw shook the thought from her mind like shaking dust from her fur, noticing her mentor, Frostflame, bounding towards her. The beautiful white she-cat looked about to burst out of her fur. "I can't believe you get to go to the Gathering!" Frostflame mewed. Hazelpaw remembered that she was a young warrior and it wasn't surprising she was acting younger then she actually was. In Hazelpaw's opinion, Frostflame was the most fun-loving, energetic, kindest cat you'd ever meet. The coolest thing about her appearance was that she had one blue eye and one green eye.

"You're going to have so much fun," she meowed, more subdued now that she had sat down. "I did." Frostflame got back up, meowed a quick goodbye to Hazelpaw, and padded over to Dustfur, who was standing by the fresh-kill pile. "Hey, Dustfur!" she mewed. "Wanna go hunting tomorrow?" Dustfur nodded his head, and Frostflame's eyes sparkled with delight. Hazelpaw, once again, rolled her eyes. Yep, that was her trademark, rolling her eyes. All the she-cats in the Clan seemed to have crushes except her. But that was all fine.

Later that night, lying in the apprentices' den, none of them were able to sleep. Redpaw mostly just scowled at the three younger apprentices, but Spottedpaw seemed friendly tonight. "So, tell me all about the Gathering when you get back tomorrow night, OK?" the calico she-cat pestered Hazelpaw. Spottedpaw started to move closer to Finchpaw, even starting to twine her tail around his, but Willowpaw gave her a withering look and she shrank back in fear immediately. "Come on, let's sleep already," Redpaw growled irritably. Now it was Willowpaw's turn to roll her eyes. "Yes, let's sleep. I've heard some cats are kinder and in better moods the next day if they get some sleep." Redpaw must've taken the hint, for he gave one last snarl before curling up and closing his eyes.

As the moon gently hovered over the trees, Hazelpaw realized that the minutes had gone by quickly, and that everyone but her was asleep. She cast a glance over at Willowpaw, who had rested her head on Finchpaw's broad shoulder, and the two were curled up together sound asleep. _Love,_ Hazelpaw thought, and sighed. _It changes us from who we are, brings us closer together._ Hazelpaw rested her head on her paws, and realized that she was more tired then she thought, and she instantly fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

**Aww, young love, it's so cute, isn't it? Yep, Jaggedclaw and Snakespirit look like real pains in the rear, don't they? I bet you all love Frostflame and Hazelpaw and friends already, but I'm not sure what to think about Heatherstar. I'll give her more personality later.**


	3. Chapter 2

**Well, that last chapter was short, and this one won't be as long as I wanted it to be, but that's how life goes I guess! I promise in later chapters the writing will be more deep and the chapters will be longer.**

**Anyway, I haven't gotten many reviews and I was wondering why everyone is ignoring me! No, I'm kidding, I bet you guys aren't ignoring me, you are just to busy to read this awful fanfic.**

**Anyway, hope you like this new chapter, it reveals a bit about Hazelpaw's past.**

* * *

Hazelpaw awoke from a deep and dreamless sleep, and blinked once or twice. With a jolt she realized she lay alone in the den. She'd overslept! She slowly crept out of the den, fearful of what they would do to her for sleeping too late. Unfortunately, Jaggedclaw and Snakespirit sat in the center of the clearing, their eyes seeming to mock Hazelpaw with every step she took. She knew trouble would come. 

"Do ShadowClan cats like to sleep much, Hazelpaw?" Snakespirit jeered. Hazelpaw's steps became choppy, she had obviously been hurt. She turned to face Snakespirit with pain in her eyes. "Leave me alone," she mewed quietly. Jaggedclaw purred with amusement. "What a pitiful excuse for a retort!" the black warrior growled with laughter. Hazelpaw chose to ignore them, but her fur prickled at the thought that they were enjoying this too much. As she started to walk towards Adderflight, Snakespirit leaped in front of her, his amber eyes mocking.

"What's the matter?!" he mewed in a high-pitched, kittenish voice. "Daddy's not here for you is he? He's too busy leading ShadowClan, isn't he?" Hazelpaw decided she had had enough. She unsheathed her claws and yowled at the top of her lungs, "Leave me alone!" The whole clearing grew quiet, and Adderflight turned and padded towards the two cats. "Is there a problem?" Adderflight growled, his voice taut with seriousness. Hazelpaw looked up into the big black deputy's eyes, pleading for him to believe her. "Snakespirit was harassing me about being half-Clan!" she mewed loudly.

Snakespirit sat up straight and put on a look of pure innocence. "I did nothing of the sort!" he yowled in mock outrage. Hazelpaw turned her gaze to him, giving him a look of such hatred in such depths that his voice trailed off at the word "sort". Adderflight didn't buy it. He beckoned for Brackenclaw and Tawnytail, two of the fiercest warriors in the Clan. "Take him out on patrol," Adderflight hissed. "And if he steps out of line even once you have my permission to claw him." The two warriors nodded, and led Snakespirit out of the camp into the forest. Adderflight then turned to Hazelpaw, sadness in his eyes.

"I'm sorry you have to deal with that," he murmured, his voice sympathetic. Hazelpaw nodded, then stayed silent as the deputy continued to speak. "Do you want to come on patrol with me. It's a rather big patrol today, I'm bringing Goldenwhisker, Willowpaw, and Finchpaw, but you can pad along too. I'll see if Berryfrost is available." Hazelpaw managed to mew, "Yes, I'd love to go on patrol with you guys." "Good," Adderflight meowed curtly, and padded off to find the patrol members.

Adderflight returned, with all the cats he had promised. Willowpaw padded over to her friend, her blue eyes filled with sympathy. "I'm sorry they're treating you like that," she murmured. Hazelpaw must've looked very confused, for her friend added, "Adderflight told me everything." Finchpaw nodded, and Hazelpaw felt like flying. What good friends she had! They were so loyal, and brave, and they would do anything for her! One day, Hazelpaw vowed, I will pay them back everything they've done for me. But not today, her thoughts seemed to echo, rattling her brain, as Adderflight walked over with Goldenwhisker and Berryfrost.

The deputy flicked his tail as in a signal, and all the cats charged out of the hollow and into the forest. Hazelpaw felt the familiar rush of exhilaration as they sprinted through the trees, leaping over fallen branches and puddles of mud. She was so into it that she almost smacked right into Finchpaw, who had stopped aruptly. Hazelpaw and Willowpaw both exchanged exasperated glances as Hazelpaw stepped up to sit beside Finchpaw. Her friend had his bracken colored nose in the air, as if scenting something wrong.

"ShadowClan," Finchpaw muttered, his fur bristling in anger. "They're on ThunderClan land." Adderflight looked outraged, and curled his lips back into a snarl. "How dare ShadowClan set foot on ThunderClan territory. Mangy, crowfood eating..." Hazelpaw was crushed by his words, and the deputy must've noticed it, for he fell silent when he cast a glance at the young she-cat. "Sorry, I forgot," Adderflight whispered, looking embarassed, which was not a common expression of his. Willowpaw's face contorted in amusement, and even Finchpaw couldn't help snickering a bit. Hazelpaw's heart leaped. ShadowClan! Maybe she'd get to see her sister a bit early after all...

Suddenly, a branch snapped directly in front of the patrol. Berryfrost stalked forward, ears flattened, belly to the ground. Adderflight motioned her back, and all the cats stood motionless. More tree branches were snapping. Something was coming, at them, and coming fast...

A lithe bundle of black fur burst through the trees, causing Willowpaw to jump back a bit. It was a small tom, definitely ShadowClan. "Fox dung! I lost that vole!" he spat. As soon as the words escaped his lips, what appeared to be a whole ShadowClan patrol came charging after their long lost Clanmate. A pretty ginger she-cat stepped over to him and snarled. The small black cat, who Hazelpaw assumed to be an apprentice, creeped back into the shelter of his own patrol, only now noticing the ThunderClan patrol that was standing a fox length away.

"Sorry for causing trouble," a jet black ShadowClan tom spoke up. "He's just a bit jumpy today." The apprentice whimpered pitifully, and a dark tabby she-cat, another apprentice probably, swiped at him with a sheathed paw. Then the she-cat apprentice stood up and walked to the head of her patrol. Her amber eyes blazed with shock and recognition. "Hazelkit? Is that you?" she meowed boldly.

Hazelpaw's heart gave a surge of joy. Amberkit! She stood her ground, not knowing what her deputy would say, but instead let out a squeak of surprise. "I assume you're Amberpaw now, right?" Hazelpaw meowed quietly. Amberpaw purred, her amber gaze laughing as she nodded her head. "Same with you?" Amberpaw mewed. "Yeah," Hazelpaw whispered. She remembered her old days back in the nursery, when Amberkit and she were always the best of friends...

_"Try and catch me, Amberkit!" Hazelkit squealed, her little stubby kitten legs carrying her across the ground in tiny strides. Amberkit had always caught up to her, she was the speed of the family. Willowkit and Finchkit would watch from nearby, then they would all join in a game of catch the RiverClan leader._

_Amberkit let out a wail of annoyance as Snakepaw, the bully, came around and started harassing her for being halfClan. Hazelkit would always come to her rescue though, she and the other kits chased off Snakepaw and comforted Amberkit. Although, it was those sessions of harassment that ultimately led Amberkit to decide that she hated ThunderClan and wanted to go back to her father..._

Yes, Amberpaw's eyes swam with memories too, and as Adderflight and the tom, Sootwhisker, exchanged words of warning, Amberpaw took the moment to mew, "I'm going to the Gathering tonight." Hazelpaw purred in happiness. "So am I, wanna meet me there?" Amberpaw nodded her pretty little head in a definite yes, and Hazelpaw barely even noticed Adderflight's signal to go home. Willowpaw had to nudge her away from her sister and get her on the right path, going towards home instead of with Amberpaw.

Finchpaw purred with amusement. "Well, your sister's not as prickly anymore..." Willowpaw whacked him on the head with a paw, and he growled in mock annoyance. Hazelpaw gave a small smile and walked on while her friends pummeled each other behind her. She ultimately had to stop when she noticed that she couldn't hear them anymore. Hazelpaw looked back and saw Willowpaw laying on top of Finchpaw, pinning him to the ground. "Come on, you guys, keep up!" they heard Adderflight yowl, and they all ran up to the patrol again and waited until they got to the camp to have fun.

* * *

As Heatherstar's tail shot up, the cats of ThunderClan started to spill onto the island. Finchpaw was the first apprentice to go down, with Willowpaw and Hazelpaw on his heels. They came to a halt at the edge of the clearing, and timidly walked forward, not knowing what was coming. A black-and-white she-cat, smelling of WindClan, came bounding up, along with a smaller gray tom whose Clanscent Hazelpaw didn't recognize.

"Hello, I'm Snowpaw of WindClan, and this is Beechpaw of RiverClan," she she-cat mewed almost breathlessly. Hazelpaw smiled and introduced her friends as well, then her voice trailed off as Amberpaw loped up to join them all, bringing along a ginger tom. "Sorry I'm late," Amberpaw gasped. "This is Foxpaw, one of my best friends." The ginger tom nodded curtly, and Hazelpaw smiled. The seven apprentices stood there blankly until a large white RiverClan tom came bounding up to the RiverClan apprentice. "Beechpaw!" the tom hissed. "Reedstar needs to see you right away!" Beechpaw crouched down in embarrassment. "Yes, Icespirit..." he mewed quietly as he was slinking off. Icespirit rolled his eyes and followed Beechpaw.

They all stood there in silence until Amberpaw took the liberty to speak. "Come on, let's go see what those young warriors are talking about," she sighed smugly, flicking her tail at a group of young cats. Hazelpaw nodded, and they all went over to the group. A sleek black RiverClan she-cat was standing in the middle, telling about a fierce battle when she was an apprentice. "That's Lilyfrost," Snowpaw hissed. "The RiverClan deputy." Finchpaw shook his head as if to clear it. "She looks beautifully dangerous," Hazelpaw heard him murmur to Willowpaw.

"...I threw myself into the clearing, yowling like a LionClan cat," Lilyfrost meowed, building up the suspension. "I saw my father, he was losing another life at the jaws of the fox. Troutfoot suddenly appeared beside me, and together we drove off the foxes for good." All the cats watched with wonder in their eyes, and there was a question burnning in Hazelpaw's mind. "Where did you drive the foxes?" Hazelpaw asked, trying to make her voice loud as she could. Lilyfrost turned to her, her eyes green eyes seeming to sparkle with bloodlust. Hazelpaw got this feeling she didn't much like this she-cat. "We drove them into the lake," the deputy purred, seeming to enjoy the memory. "They all drowned in there."

As Amberpaw motioned with her tail for them to step away, Hazelpaw's fur bristled with unease. "Did you see the way she looked at me?" she murmured, turning to Finchpaw and Willowpaw. They both nodded, and Hazelpaw, unhappy with their nonverbal replies, followed Amberpaw deeper into the clearing. "Where in StarClan's name do you think you two are going?" a deep voice growled from behind them, and both Amberpaw and Hazelpaw instinctively wheeled around with surprise. Hazelpaw found herself staring into icy green eyes filled with surprise, but warmth.

"Father!" Hazelpaw cried, and ran over to the big dark tabby tom. "I was wondering whether I'd get to see you tonight," Darkstar mumured. "Is Greengaze here?" Hazelpaw couldn't help purring in amusement; her father could not successfully mask the longing contorting his face. "No, but I do know one thing..." Hazelpaw growled playfully. "What?" Darkstar meowed in surprise. "That if he were under questionining in an enemy camp, he could never keep a straight face?" Amberpaw guessed. "Yep!" Hazelpaw purred, and all three cats stood together gossping for a while.

Frostflame and Dustfur bounded up to them. "Don't give away too much!" Frostflame teased her apprentice. Darkstar laughed, knowing that she was serious, but joking around. "Hello Frostflame," he meowed in his deep booming voice. "Are you harassing my daughter still?" Frostflame let her eyes widen in mock outrage. "How did you find out?" her mentor purred. "Anyway, come on Hazelpaw, the Gathering's about to begin." Hazelpaw meowed a goodbye to her father over he shoulder, and bounded over to sit next to Willowpaw and Finchpaw, seconds before Heatherstar issued a earsplitting yowl to start the meeting.

Hazelpaw's eyes shone with pride as she saw her father take his place on top the tree. Willowpaw's eyes shone with understanding. "Is that your father up there?" she asked, probably already knowing the answer. "Yep," Hazelpaw murmured proudly. Jaggedclaw silenced her with a ferocious hiss as Reedstar, the leader of RiverClan, stepped up to speak first.

"There's been plenty of prey in the rivers," Reedstar meowed in his cool, commanding tone. "And we have one new apprentice, Beechkit has become Beechpaw." All the cats in the clearing shifted their eyes to the nervous gray tom, his eyes filled with pride as he straightened himself up to an upright position. "As you all know, fire struck the RiverClan camp. WindClan was grateful enough to help us," Reedstar added, casting a grateful glance at not Flamestar, but Wolfstripe, the deputy. Instead, Flamestar returned Reedstar's glance with an angry glare. It appeared she had nothing to do with helping Reedstar or his Clan.

Hazelpaw's stomach churned with unease. Did this mean there was possible upcoming war between RiverClan and WindClan? Not even fazed by the WindClan leader's angry glare, Reedstar continued to speak. "Our medicine cat, Grasswhisker, was killed in the blaze, and Violetheart is our new medicine cat." Reedstar's voice trailed off as outraged yowls sounded all around the clearing. "Apparantly Violetheart isn't that popular among the Clans," Finchpaw muttered. Hazelpaw and Willowpaw both glanced at the new medicine cat. She looked small, helpless, and nervous. "I wouldn't be popular if I looked like her either!" Willowpaw hissed, turning to Finchpaw. "She looks terrible!"

"Silence!" Reedstar yowled, and the island fell completely quiet. The RiverClan leader flicked his tail for Darkstar to come forward, clearly finished with his part in the meeting. Hazelpaw watched as her father strode to the edge of the rock. He looked down at Hazelpaw lovingly for a split second, then turned his gaze to all the Clans. When he finally spoke, his voice was cold with anger.

"Before I get to the happy news, I have an announcement to make. We have seen everything. Reedstar, your warriors have been stealing ShadowClan prey!" Darkstar finished, his voice now a loud caterwaul. Reedstar looked outright shocked, and Lilyfrost reared up on her hind legs in fury. Icespirit stood, his fur bristling with outrage. "We have not stolen any of your prey!" the white warrior yowled. Lilyfrost looked as if she was about to claw Darkstar's eyes out, and Hazelpaw saw Amberpaw and her mentor, Flamespirit, stand up, hissing in defense.

"Enough!" Heatherstar growled loudly for everyone to hear. "Darkstar, do you have proof?" Darkstar's eyes grew big, as if he couldn't believe Heatherstar wouldn't side with him immediately. "Yes, much proof!" the ShadowClan leader meowed indignantly. "We've found fresh-kill remains on her territory, beside the border, stinking of RiverClan! Plus, my deputy, Leopardpelt, saw two of Reedstar's warriors inside ShadowClan territory hunting!" Darkstar added. Heatherstar looked at Leopardpelt questionably, and she nodded to say that Darkstar was definitely not lying.

"Oh, look, Darkstar's sucking up to ThunderClan again!" Lilyfrost jeered, her black fur bristling. "I know what you did! I might've been only an apprentice, but I understood the wrongness of what you did!" The RiverClan deputy glared down at the cats below her, first at Amberpaw, then fixing her cold green gaze on Hazelpaw. Willowpaw and Finchpaw must've noticed the meaning in her words, and they both unsheathed their claws and bared their teeth at Lilyfrost.

Darkstar had a look of fury contorting his face, and he stood up to his full height and stuck his chest out. He had also obviously noticed what she was implying. "StarClan have forgiven me for what I have done!" Hazelpaw saw her father growl through gritted teeth. "No need to drag two innocent apprentices into this!" Lilyfrost laughed, a sharp sound much like ice splintering. "Ah, yes, speaking of those apprentices," she whispered, and stepped onto the tree branch and sat down next to Reedstar. Every cat gasped, but Reedstar made no move to control his deputy. Darkstar and Heatherstar both gasped, their jaws hanging wide open, but Flamestar stood with an expression of pure wonder in her eyes.

"12 moons ago, a young ThunderClan queen named Greengaze was patrolling the ShadowClan border, alone," Lilyfrost began, her eyes showing nothing but amusement. "There she met her future mate, the ShadowClan leader Darkstar. They talked, after a few minutes they fell in love at first sight. How lovely," she added, her voice mocking. "But then, after just a moon, Darkstar and Greengaze mated in an old badger set just inside ShadowClan territory. You'd think they'd keep it secret, but no, one of my most loyal friends in ShadowClan came and told me everything." Every cat gasped and looked around, possibly calculating who it could be.

"Thanks, Sootwhisker," Lilyfrost continued. "You were a lot of help to me." Hazelpaw saw young Foxpaw gasp, and stare at his mentor like he had three heads. "Anyway, going on. They couldn't have hid it anyway, because young Amberkit looked exactly like her father. And when I told my mentor, and then the Clan itself, everyone knew about Darkstar and Greengaze's little secret." Lilyfrost's ice green eyes glittered dangerously in the darkness as she said these words.

"And then Amberkit chose to leave ThunderClan when she was only three moons old. Darkstar welcomed her in like a hero, proud to have a daughter. But you don't see my point, here, Heatherstar, that...that freak that's telling you all those lies should not be trusted, when he can knowingly rape one of your queens under your nose!" the deputy finished with a hard edge in her voice, and she stayed silent while all the cats on the island yowled either in defense or against the ShadowClan leader. Hazelpaw glanced at Amberpaw and noticed that her sister was mortified.

Darkstar straightened up a bit and swallowed nervously, his green eyes swimming with anger. Heatherstar turned to Lilyfrost, her face fixed in a look of fury. "Don't tell me who to believe!" she yowled adamantly. "I'm not mouse-brained!" A loud cry came up from the ThunderClan cats, one of pure joy that their leader was standing up to the fearsome RiverClan deputy. Hazelpaw looked up at her father, and their eyes met. She saw Darkstar's pain and fury, all spilling out of him at that very moment.

Suddenly, the mood changed as Troutfoot, a silver tabby RiverClan tom, sprang at Dustfur in fury. Frostflame hurled forward and stood side by side with her Clanmate, drawing her lips apart in a ferocious snarl. "Come no farther," Hazelpaw heard her growl in defense. But Troutfoot's Clanmate, Voleheart, stalked up to stand next to his friend and bared his teeth. The four cats were locked in a ferocious staredown. Hazelpaw's heart started to thud. How could this go on?

As she cast a glance around the clearing, Hazelpaw noticed that other cats were having similar conflicts, ShadowClan and ThunderClan against RiverClan and WindClan. Suddenly, she heard a loud screech, and with a sickening jolt she recognized her sister's voice. Hazelpaw nudged Finchpaw and Willowpaw. "Come with me," she hissed, and set off to see what was wrong.

Beechpaw had grabbed Amberpaw by the scruff of her neck and was shaking her around. Amberpaw let out another ferocious howl and raked her claws across his ears. He yowled in fury and ran off to his mentor. "Serves him right, the coward," Amberpaw meowed loudly, noticing her sister. As she spoke, everything started to go dark. Hazelpaw cast an exasperated look up at the sky, and sure enough, large clouds were starting to fall in front of the moon.

"The meeting is over!" Darkstar yowled, sounding relieved. Not one cat stayed behind and talked to their friends outside their Clan. Instead, each Clan stayed in one tightly spaced group, far away from the other Clans. Hazelpaw walked close to Willowpaw and Finchpaw, her jaw still hanging open in shock. Finchpaw took one look at her expression and purred with laughter. "Not what we all were expecting for our first Gathering, was it?" he mewed giddily. Willowpaw let out a hiss of anger, and Finchpaw drew back, as if she was mad at him.

"I hate that Lilyfrost!" Willowpaw growled. "I swear, I will get her back one day for hurting you, Hazelpaw, I really will." Apparantly, Frostflame had heard everything they had said, for Hazelpaw heard her normally loud voice quietly murmur, "I think Hazelpaw can handle her own problems, young Willowpaw." Hazelpaw could not help purring in amusement. Her mentor was never afraid to speak the truth, even at the wrong times. Heatherstar had said herself it was a dangerous trait in a warrior, for she could give away any of the Clan's secrets, but Frostflame had proved her loyalty to ThunderClan many times over.

As they crossed the fallen tree, one by one, they were careful to just barely skirt RiverClan territory. Knowing they would not be welcomed in WindClan for siding with ShadowClan, Heatherstar took them back through ShadowClan ground. They had no problems getting back to their camp, but when they got there Hazelpaw's paws felt about ready to fall off from exhaustion.

Immediately, Spottedpaw bounded out of the apprentices' den, Redpaw following a bit slowly. "So, how was it?" Spottedpaw asked, her voice filled with questioning. "Not now, Spottedpaw, I'm just tired. Maybe in the morning," Hazelpaw snapped, a bit more harsh then she intended, and stalked off into the apprentices' den. She settled down into her normal nest and rested her head on her paws. No pre-sleeping thoughts now, just try to fall into a deep, deep sleep, Hazelpaw thought determinedly. When everything started to go black, Hazelpaw found that it wasn't so hard to fall asleep after all...

* * *

**Well, sorry, I told you it wasn't that long, and the writing is bad, but I think that was a bit interesting. I feel bad for Darkstar and I bet you all hate Lilyfrost already!**


	4. Chapter 3

**Sorry it took so long! And school is starting back up on the 23rd so things will go even more slowly... I promise I will get chapters up more often.**

**This chapter is a bit poorly written, I might've rushed through it a bit, just remember that reviews, whether they be flames or compliments, are always loved!**

* * *

Hazelpaw woke up the next morning, relieved that she hadn't slept in that day. Willowpaw's eyes were still lightly closed, and beside her Finchpaw let out a faint snore. She prodded her friends in the side with a forepaw. "C'mon, guys," Hazelpaw whispered. "Adderstar's gonna kill us if we don't get up and meet our mentors at the clearing." Willowpaw nodded, and heaved herself up, while Finchpaw let out a groan and followed her, more slowly.

As the three apprentices started into the clearing, they noticed Adderflight and Frostflame sitting close together, whispering hurried things into each other's ears. Frostflame glanced over at Hazelpaw. Her eyes were full of anxiety, and when she turned them away, Hazelpaw couldn't possibly imagine what could be the matter. Willowpaw and Finchpaw had the same dumbfounded looks on their faces, and Adderstar and Frostflame were now walking over to them, almost reluctantly.

"He's decided-" Frostflame was cut off by a stern glare from Adderflight, and she swallowed nervously before she continued. "_We've _decided to send Hazelpaw on a patrol today." Adderflight nodded and gave Hazelpaw a sympathetic look. Hazelpaw felt a rush of anger towards the two older warriors. It was just a patrol! Why were they making such a big deal out of it? Adderflight cleared his throat before continuing. "We've decided to send Snakespirit, Jaggedclaw, and Frostflame with you..." Adderflight's voice trailed off.

Hazelpaw nearly wailed out loud. "You're sending me on patrol with those two pieces of fox dung?" Hazelpaw whispered, looking into her mentor's eyes. "I though...I thought I could trust you two...especially you, Frostflame..." Frostflame looked ready to burst out of her fur. She gave Hazelpaw a knowing look, and Hazelpaw dug her claws into the ground. This was _Adderflight's_ idea!

Adderflight stood his ground, and firmly meowed, "As your deputy I have the right to order you around like this. Now go on this patrol or you're cleaning out the elder's den for the rest of the moon." Finchpaw exchanged disgusted looks with Willowpaw, and Hazelpaw glared at them before speaking. "Alright Adderflight, I'll go, but on one condition: Frostflame will stick by my side no matter what. I don't trust a hair on those idiot's pelts," she finished cooly.

Frostflame nodded in approval, and Adderflight gave in. "Snakespirit, Jaggedclaw!" The two warriors trotted over to their deputy, and Adderflight quietly spoke to them. Hazelpaw's lip curled in satisfaction as she saw their expression change from curiosity to outrage at his words. As they turned and sulked over to her and Frostflame, Hazelpaw smiled sweetly at them. Snakespirit bared his teeth.

"You dirty piece of fox dung," he hissed into Hazelpaw's ear, which twitched at his warm breath. "You're just doing this to get back at me and Jaggedclaw, right? Well look around you," Snakespirit finished, snapping his jaws shut. Hazelpaw did take a good look around the clearing. The smile slid off her face like rain. Most of the cats in the clearing were glaring at her with undisguised hatred in their eyes. Even Heatherstar was looking disapprovingly at Hazelpaw. "I guess you got a bit close to daddy at the Gathering, right?" Snakespirit laughed, his voice cold and uncaring.

Hazelpaw's fur bristled with fury. "What did you tell them?" she growled, unsheathing her claws. Snakespirit and Jaggedclaw exchanged an amused glance. "Oh, this and that..." Jaggedclaw meowed coolly. Frostflame was just watching this all unfold with complete dismay in her eyes. "What did they tell you?" Hazelpaw murmured, wheeling around to face her mentor. Frostflame's lip quivered, and for a minute it looked as if she would cry.

"They didn't tell me anything," she meowed quickly, too quickly for Hazelpaw's taste. There was something her mentor wasn't telling her! "Frostflame, I trust you with my life. What did they tell you?" Hazelpaw hissed again, sounding unusually fierce. She regretted the words as soon as they slipped out of her gaping jaws.

"Hazelpaw, you should never talk to your mentor like that!" Frostflame growled, sounding more angry then she had ever sounded before. "Now I expect you to behave on this patrol, or you will do as Adderflight says, and recieve my punishment as well." Hazelpaw shifted her eyes to the ground, shifting her paws in embarrassment. "I'm sorry, Frostflame," she whispered, almost chokingly. "I won't talk like that to you again." Frostflame gave something like a grunt of sympathy, and wrapped her tail protectively around Hazelpaw.

Snakespirit let out a snort of disgust. "Let's get on with this," he growled, rolling his eyes. Jaggedclaw grunted in agreement, and the two cats strolled out of the clearing. Frostflame and Hazelpaw exchanged an exasperated look, and followed them into the forest.

It was unusually quiet today, Hazelpaw noticed. Instead of the usual rustle of leaves that signified late greenleaf, the leaves were quiet. Some leaves had actually lost their greenish tint and fallen to the ground, withered and dead. "Leaffall is coming..." Frostflame sighed, and Hazelpaw nodded in agreement. After leaffall would come leafbare, and less prey, which meant more chance of greencough. Hazelpaw's fur prickled at the thought. Greencough had taken a lot of her kits in her generation, and she, Amberpaw, Willowpaw, and Finchpaw had been the only survivors. Her mother, Greengaze, had also almost died from the disease, but being as stong as she was, she had pulled through.

Jaggedclaw's normal cold voice broke into Hazelpaw's thoughts. "We should head for the ShadowClan border-" Suddenly, a loud yowl cut the senior warrior off before he had a chance to state why they were going to the ShadowClan border. But Hazelpaw definitely knew why: he wanted her to meet either her father or her sister, and make a fool of herself. Another loud yowl sounded, and Hazelpaw whipped around to see the reddish shape of Redpaw streaking towards them.

"WindClan is attacking the camp! ATTACKING!" Redpaw screeched, in obvious terror. Frostflame's odd-colored eyes stretched wide in surprise, and she quickly meowed, "Who does Adderflight need at the camp?" Redpaw's chest heaved in exhaustion. Clearly his ear-splitting yowls, plus his run to the patrol, had worn him out completely. "Only you, Frostflame," Redpaw panted quickly. Frostflame looked at Hazelpaw, then turned her gaze back to Redpaw. She was clearly thinking something was up. "OK, I'll go," she mewed reluctantly, her voice quivering a bit.

As she left, Hazelpaw stood behind Jaggedclaw and Snakespirit, her fur bristling. WindClan! Hazelpaw thought angrily. She knew Flamestar was up to something, she could clearly see it at the Gathering. But as Snakespirit and Jaggedclaw turned to face her, her stomach twisted nervously. What were they going to do with her?

"OK, pretty..." Jaggedclaw purred, a purr too malicious for Hazelpaw to take seriously. "It's time, Snakespirit." Without warning, Snakespirit had leaped at Hazelpaw. Hazelpaw's eyes widened with terror. They were going to kill her! As soon as the two cats went after her, Hazelpaw spun on her back legs and started to sprint away from the two warriors.

As she streaked through the forest, with Jaggedclaw and Snakespirit hot on her heels, Hazelpaw heard the sound of many cats. Wait-if that was camp, then why didn't she hear fighting. Then, her heart skipped a beat. It had been a trap! Redpaw was really on Jaggedclaw's side! He had laid a false warning so the two warriors he called friends could kill her! As she continued to run, the scents of ThunderClan wafted through the air. If she wasn't careful, she was going to fall right into the clearing!

Then, she realized something, one of the first things her mentor had ever told her was, Hazelpaw, forget about logic for once. Follow your heart, and be gutsy. Because a big heart and determination, as well as the gutsy ability to take risks, is the most important thing a warrior can have. Hazelpaw tightened her muscles. She was nearing the edge...and without warning, she sprang through the air right at the edge of the cliff surrounding the hollow.

It was like slow-motion. Hazelpaw seemed to fly through the air. Her eyes looked downward, and she could see the cats looking up upon her, their expressions a mixture of shock and angst. Then, she started to fall, down, and down. The cats had tried to back away so Hazelpaw wouldn't land on them. She fell and fell, her body twisted in midair, and after what had felt like days of falling, her body hit the ground with a sickening cruch, her head hit hard rock, and blackness seemed to spread through Hazelpaw's mind. And all was quiet.

* * *

"Is she OK?" 

"Will she live?"

"Is her leg really broken?"

Distant sounding voices echoed through Hazelpaw's mind, as she tried hard to recollect what had happened. She had jumped, running away from those two traitors that called themselves warriors. She had hit the ground-hard, for her body ached like no other pain. Her head hurt really bad, and Hazelpaw found it hard to think. So she opened her eyes instead.

Willowpaw and Finchpaw were hovering over her, as well as Frostflame and the medicine cat, Nightflower. Their expressions on their faces was a mix of horror and joy. "Greengaze, she's alive," Nightflower whispered, and from behind the four cats standing beside Hazelpaw, a tortishell she-cat, looking strikingly like Hazelpaw, heaved herself from the moss and licked her daughter's ear. "I can't believe it..." Frostflame murmured. Finchpaw nodded, and Willowpaw added silently, "We all thought you were dead."

"Well, I'm not, right?" Hazelpaw mewed quietly, attempting to make her voice clear. "No, you're very much alive, but the Clan doesn't seem to be too happy about it," Finchpaw growled, his voice full of dispair. "They think you're telling ShadowClan our secrets," Willowpaw meowed, adding onto Finchpaw's short answer when Hazelpaw shot her a puzzled look. Hazelpaw's jaw gaped with outrage. "It was Jaggedclaw and Snakespirit, right?" she muttered, her fur bristling. "Yeah," Frostflame admitted. "It was."

Hazelpaw dug her claws into the ground. Those traitors! Thanks to them the whole Clan hated her now. She turned her attention to Heatherstar, who was padding into Nightflower's den at that moment. "Oh, you're alive," she meowed, sounding not relieved, but more annoyed, like a bug that was annoying her. "Yeah, I suppose I am," Hazelpaw mewed defensively. Heatherstar seemed at a loss for words, her eyes gave away nothing but sheer boredom. Without another word, she trotted off towards Adderflight, perhaps to have a word with him.

"Everyone's been acting so different around you," Greengaze murmured, her voice full of anguish. "My poor Hazelpaw..." And with that being said her mother curled up beside Hazelpaw. Hazelpaw's whiskers twitched in fake embarrassment. "Mother..." she sighed, rolling her eyes. Both Willowpaw and Finchpaw purred with laughter, and even the normally serious Nightflower supressed a chuckle, but a big grin spread over her thin black face.

"So, what's up with my leg?" Hazelpaw asked Nightflower. "Someone said something about it being broken." Nightflower's smile faded, and she was all business now as she briskly meowed, "Oh, your leg was only popped out of place. I popped it back into place. It would really hurt if you were awake, but you were out cold as soon as you hit your head." Hazelpaw nodded in understanding, and Willowpaw and Finchpaw's mouths hung agape at the thought of their friend breaking her leg.

Hazelpaw started purring in delight. Was this just not the most perfect thing that could happen to her? A nice, cozy den, with all the cats that loved her surrounding her, but it was just missing one thing...

"Here, Hazelpaw, I've brought you some fresh-kill," Frostflame meowed cheerfully. "You must be hungry," she added, dropping a plump rabbit at Hazelpaw's paws. "Thanks, Frostflame, I'm absolutely ravenous," Hazelpaw mewed quickly, before tucking into the rabbit rather fiercely. "Well, it's good that she's got an appetite," Hazelpaw heard Nightflower say to Greengaze. She heard her mother say something unaudible, and through a mouthful of rabbit, Hazelpaw managed to mumble, "Did you catch the WindClan cats who broke into camp?"

Hazelpaw's words were greeted by confused silence, and she gulped down the rest of the rabbit before clearly stating, "Did you catch the WindClan cats who were attacking the camp?" Finchpaw gave her a dumb look, Willowpaw copied his look, Frostflame looked as if she had gone insane, and Nightflower looked ready to give her some herb to knock her out for good. "What cats, darling?" Greengaze asked quietly, lifting her head from the soft bedding of moss. Hazelpaw nearly jumped in delight. She had been right! It was just a false alarm so Jaggedclaw and Snakespirit could catch her alone and kill her!

"Oh, nothing, I might just be a bit loony from the herbs Nightflower gave me," Hazelpaw mewed quickly. "You could be positively loony without the herbs, you know," Finchpaw growled playfully. Willowpaw cuffed him around the ear with a front paw, and he fell silent. Greengaze and Frostflame purred in amusement, and Hazelpaw couldn't help supressing a laugh.

"How long until I can get out of here?" Hazelpaw meowed loudly. Nightflower purred. "You can go now, if you'd like," the medicine cat mewed in her soft voice. "Take your friends with you." Finchpaw let out a small yowl of pure elation, and Willowpaw's spirit's seemed to rise. After Hazelpaw had said a goodnight to the three older cats in Nightflower's den, the three apprentices took off for the apprentices den.

To Hazelpaw's displeasure, the cat that was waiting for them at the entrance was Redpaw, a scowl spread across his face. "Nice false alarm, Redpaw!" Hazelpaw squeaked in mock excitement. "You nearly got me killed!" Redpaw let out a long hiss, and said, "You just wait-" He was cut off by a mocking yowl from inside the den. Out stepped Spottedpaw, her face contorted with scorn. "I bet his false alarm can't even top you telling our secrets to your precious sister, right?" she sneered, wrapping her tail around Finchpaw's. "Come on baby, let's go and have a piece of fresh-kill together..." Finchpaw pulled his tail from hers, a look of pure disgust on his face, and spat, "Why don't you go hang with that ginger-colored sludge that calls himself Redpaw. You'd make the perfect couple." Spottedpaw threw Hazelpaw another mocking look, and stepped back into the den.

"Annoying little prick," Finchpaw muttered under his breath, then added a bit more loudly, "They do deserve each other, though, you know? They both think they know it all." Willowpaw almost rolled over on her side in a fit of laughter, and Finchpaw cocked his head to one side, confused. "That wasn't supposed to be funny," he meowed steadily, though his shaky voice was giving away a stifled laugh. Willowpaw could only answer with a muffled purr of amusement, and Hazelpaw rolled her eyes. "Come on, let's get to bed before Willowpaw gets any more crazier," she purred. Willowpaw nodded her head in agreement, her eyes swimming with tears of laughter, and the threesome stepped into the apprentices' den.

As soon as they arrived, Redpaw and Spottedpaw moved far back, curled up together by the back wall. Finchpaw shrugged. "All the more space for us," he mewed matter-of-factly, as Spottedpaw bared her teeth at him in a threatening snarl. Hazelpaw nearly dropped like a rock into the soft moss, and before she could even think about it, she fell asleep in a nice, calm slumber.

The next day, things didn't quite turn out good for Hazelpaw. Everywhere she turned, she was either taunted for her HalfClan heritage or scolded for doing something wrong. "For the last time, Tawnytail," Hazelpaw growled, exasperated, "I've cleaned out the elders' den, caught some prey, and even went on two patrols today. TWO!" Tawnytail returned her gaze, her eyes smoldering with anger. "Well, that vole you caught was too scrawny, go catch some more prey. The Clan doesn't feed itself, you know," Tawnytail complained in an unusually high-pitched meow.

Hazelpaw found she was also being seperated from her friends and family. She was barred from going on the evening patrol with Frostflame, and she couldn't go hunting with Finchpaw and Willowpaw. Jaggedclaw watched all this with a smirk on his face. His mocking smile grew even wider when Hazelpaw stopped to glare at him once in a while. She dug her claws into the ground and walked on.

After a few days, Hazelpaw couldn't take it anymore. She was almost reduced to tears one day by Snakespirit ("stupid HalfClan filth! Can't even catch a rabbit!) and she was being worked too hard. She started thinking if it would be best to run away. Hazelpaw smiled. She would need a plan, yes, a very could plan. Then, her brilliant mind thought up something. Maybe, just maybe, if this worked, she could escape and the Clan would think she was dead. Still smiling, Hazelpaw bounded off towards the medicine cats' den. She knew exactly what to do.

That night, a wad of cobwebs by her side, Hazelpaw lay awake, thinking. She had said a long goodnight to Finchpaw and Willowpaw, not telling them what she was doing, for if she told them, and the plan didn't work, the Clan would go to them for information. She had also said a long goodnight to her mother and Frostflame. Hazelpaw sighed deeply. What was she doing? Leaving all her friends, and family behind. But then she blinked, and felt the heavy bags under her eyes. The Clan was treating her like a slave, she couldn't go on with this. Directing all her anger towards Snakespirit and Jaggedclaw into one bite, she slashed open her shoulder.

Carefully, cobwebs in mouth, she creeped out of the warriors' den, trying not to let blood spill. No blood was spilt by the time she had gotten out of the hollow, and when she looked back at her home, the place she had called home, the blood started to spill from her shoulder, and tears started to spill from her eyes.

No time for that now, Hazelpaw thought quickly, shaking her head to clear her thoughts. She started to run, run towards the north side of the ThunderClan border. As soon as her pawsteps set foot outside her territory, there was a loud clap of thunder, and it began to pour rain.

Perfect, Hazelpaw thought. It will cover up my scent so no one can track me, they'll just find the blood and expect the worst. Just to be careful, she climbed into an old badger set and stayed there for a few minutes, trying to make her scent linger there. Hazelpaw also managed to spill a few more drops of blood here, so it had looked as if she had been eaten by a badger.

As she set off running again, Hazelpaw felt a sharp pain of remorse. What had she done? What if she really did get killed out here, and never saw her family again? "I'm such a mouse-brain," Hazelpaw groaned, thinking out loud, and continued running towards a large open area. The sun was just beginning to rise over the hills. It was beautiful, seeing all the dewdrops, and hearing all the morning birds sing.

As she stepped out into the open area, it was becoming increasingly obvious that there were other cats here. She could smell their scent marks, and yet, they didn't seem too unfamiliar, like Hazelpaw had scented them before. As she walked through the open moorland, something made her fur prickle. Hazelpaw didn't know if it was the wind, or her thoughts, or maybe a piece of prey, close by her, ready for her to sink her teeth into-

Hazelpaw stopped dead in her tracks as she noticed something moving in a nearby bush. There, there it was again. And then big, glowing green eyes stared at her with fury. Hazelpaw's stomach churned. She was being watched! Then, a loud battle cry nearly pierced her ears, and Hazelpaw's fur instictively fluffed up, and her tail grew erect, ready for a fight. "Show yourself," she snarled loudly, trying not to sound afraid. No one came. Hazelpaw didn't give up too easily. She slowly, steadily, walked past the bush, glancing at it once and a while. When she was confident enough, she sat down and curled her tail around her paws, licking her ruffled fur.

Suddenly, a sleek gray figure burst out of the bush and started to barrel towards Hazelpaw. She let out a cry of shock, and soon after, she had been bowled over, and was now looking into those same, icy green eyes. Hazelpaw's whole body shook in fear. This wasn't exactly a kittypet she was dealing with! The lean gray tom stared fiercely down at her before opening his jaws to speak.

"What are you doing in my territory?!"

* * *

**Ooh...the mysteries... No hints on who the cat is yet, you're just going to have to read on to find out!**


End file.
